COURAGE: A Novel of the Sea. By Alan Littell, Illustrated. St. Martin’s Press. 148 pages. $16.95.

It surely was not Vineyard Haven harbor waters lapping the beach near the Mary Guerin Inn in Eastville that inspiredthis thrilling sea tale. But its author, Alan Littell, spent childhood summers there. More likely, his later years as a merchant mariner provided the background for this story of the dangers of the enthralling sea.

Last week after the snowfall, I went walking. I always try to beat the plows and the sanders, and for awhile I did. The only sounds were the squeaking snow beneath my boots and the wind soughing. It was just about dusk and a bird or two was uttering a goodnight chirp before tucking its head under its wing. The snow along West Tisbury’s Music street, gleaming under occasional street lights, seemed to me like that “ribbon of moonlight” in the Alfred Noyes’ poem The Highwayman.

In Tisbury town on Church street,
the traffic all was stuck
So those who’d gone on shopping sprees
were clearly out of luck.

The Rev. Cathlin Baker was busy. It was something of a day off from activities at West Tisbury’s First Congregational Church, of which she is the new minister. It wasn’t her sermon-writing day. But there was still unpacking to be done at the parsonage in Island Farms. Then Eirene (who was born on St. Patrick’s Day and whose name means “peace” in Greek) needed to be nestled and four-year-old Hardy had to be greeted when he came home from the Rainbow Place preschool in Edgartown.

By PHYLLIS MERAS

M ore than 150 friends and supporters of retiring State Rep. Eric T. Turkington honored him with a farewell party at the Martha’s Vineyard Agricultural Society Hall in West Tisbury Sunday afternoon. Mr. Turkington, who has represented the Cape and Islands for the last 20 years, is stepping down to run for register of probate in Barnstable county in November.

Strollers along Edgartown’s Dock street who would like to pause for awhile and watch the Chappy ferry come and go, can now sit on a brand new bench outside the Old Sculpin Gallery. It was dedicated last Sunday to Fred and Jane Messersmith of DeLand, Fla. and Edgartown for their decades of service to the gallery. And it was dedicated on the opening day of Mr. Messersmith’s retrospective show of watercolors of Edgartown streets and Island shores.